Registration: free but mandatory—limited space available
Abstract submission: Between March 1st and May 1st, 2026.

Measuring deformations of the Earth's surface using satellite imagery is now a major scientific and societal challenge. With growing demand for near real-time information on natural disasters (earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, collapses, glacial melt, etc.), these techniques offer the possibility of rapidly providing high-resolution, high-precision data on ongoing events. However, many challenges remain, such as the massive management of open data volumes, the use of AI for automatic detection and denoising, multi-sensor integration (radar/optical, Lidar/photogrammetry), and multi-technique integration (image correlation, InSAR, GNSS, MNE comparison).  Faced with these challenges, the French satellite imaging community has organized itself around SNO ISDeform (created in 2021 to bring together methodological expertise at the national level) and the FormaTerre data center of IR DataTerra, in close partnership with CNES. This organization allows for the pooling of efforts in data acquisition, processing, and dissemination. 

In this context, the MDIS (Mesures des Déformations de la surface terrestre par Imagerie Satellitaire) conference aims to bring the community together and promote scientific openness by inviting international specialists and experts from cross-disciplinary communities (signal and image processing, AI, glaciology, climate, etc.). This conference also brings together French and foreign researchers, engineers, and students, as well as representatives from space agencies (ESA, CNES, NASA, DLR, etc.). It is an opportunity to share fundamental and practical knowledge, develop new perspectives, and coordinate structuring actions with various international institutions (data centers, space agencies, SNO).

The 2026 edition will be jointly organized by the Lorraine Earth Environment Observatory (OTELo, Nancy) and the European Center for Geodynamics and Seismology (ECGS, Luxembourg). It will include two days of training (September 14–15, 2026) at the École Nationale Supérieure de Géologie de Nancy (ENSG), followed by three days of scientific symposiums (September 16–18, 2026) at the Centre des Jonquilles in Xonrupt-Longemer (Vosges). 

The main themes are around the use of space imagery (radar and optical satellites, LiDAR, photogrammetry), which enables the acquisition of multi-view images of the Earth's surface.
The topics covered are as follows:
·      radar interferometry (InSAR) and optical and radar image correlation (processing methodology).
·      cross-referencing of multi-source data and the use of AI for automatic detection and data denoising. 
·      the use and exploitation of the observations provided by these techniques in various fields of application (seismic cycle, volcanic cycle, cryosphere, ground movements, surface deformations linked to anthropogenic activity (stimulated reservoirs, pumping, subsidence), and hydrology.
·      prospects for online processing methods and the development of new sensors.

This conference also targets specialists in the processing of satellite data, GNSS data, stereophotogrammetry data, LiDAR data, image and signal processing, and the exploitation of large data sets. Discussions between scientists from different fields will enable the sharing of fundamental and practical knowledge on these various issues, the emergence of new perspectives, and the coordination of structured actions with various international institutions (data centers, space agencies, and Europe).

The conference will take place in two stages: two days of training (September 14–15, 2026) at the École Nationale Supérieure de Géologie de Nancy (ENSG), followed by three days of scientific conferences (September 16–18, 2026) at the Centre des Jonquilles in Xonrupt-Longemer (Vosges). 
Public transportation will be provided between Nancy and Longemer.
The objectives are to present scientific results on the topics covered, organized into thematic sessions/presentations (invited, based on abstracts).

The sessions of the MDIS-2026 conference are:
(1)   New and future missions
(2)   Methods and AI 
(3)   Thematic session:

• Tectonics 
• Ground movements 
• Volcanoes 
• Cryosphere
• Hydrology, reservoirs, and anthropogenic deformations 

This year, we would like to focus particularly on cross-cutting themes, such as monitoring hydrology and anthropogenic deformations, as well as managing massive data and utilizing AI for automatic detection and noise reduction. 

The training sessions planned are:

• data download platforms (GEODES, Dinamis, Copernicus, etc.)
• product visualization tools (InSAR-Viz)
• on-demand computing services (GDM-OPT, GDM-SAR, DSM-OPT, etc.)
• processing tools (AMSTer, SNAP, NSBAS, etc.)

The official language of the conference is English.

Following the conference, a day dedicated to SNO ISDeform will be organized.

Organizing committee:
Emilie Ostanciaux (IPGP-FormaTerre)
Cecilia Klespert (OTELo)
Nicolas D’Oreye (ECGS/MNHN)
Delphine Smittarello (ECGS)
Julien Charreau (CRPG-ENSG)
Jerome Lavé (CRPG)
Simon Daout (CRPG-ENSG)

Contacts: mdis-2026@sciencesconf.org, simon.daout@univ-lorraine.fr, delphine@ecgs.lu, ndo@ecgs.lu